Madison Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Chapter 26: Sluggy's Memory

The Christmas Holidays had sadly come to a pass; it was time to go back to school, and I wasn't very happy about it.

"Oh, please be careful, Harry, Madison," Mrs. Weasley patronized as she hugged us goodbye.

We would be using floo powder to get to Hogwarts. We would be flooding to McGonagall's office.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley. You know Harry and I," I began.

"We like the quiet life, you know," Harry finished for me.

Mrs. Weasley let out a slight chuckle.

With one last hug from George, I have him one last kiss. It was a magical one, and he kissed me back. We broke apart, and he hugged me once more.

"I love you," he told me.

"I love you too," I replied.

After a moment of one last hug between us, we parted ways. George had to go off to the shop, and he gave me one last wave and disappeared.

Within minutes, Ron, Harry, Ginny and I were standing in McGonagall's office at Hogwarts.

"Careful not to get ash on the floor, please," McGonagall tried to reason.

"Sorry," Ron stumbled.

Once out of the office, Ginny told me, "I'm pretty sure that my mom is planning out a wedding reception since you and George, you know... Eloped."

I laughed and nodded. "Probably. I wouldn't mind though. I'd love to have it at the Burrow."

We made our way towards the Gryffindor Tower, and we were talking about useless things.

"Harry! Madison! Ginny!" Hermione's familiar voice yelled out.

Hermione's face was red from the cold, and she had a winter coat that was unzipped, boots with snow on them, a hat stuffed in her coat pocket and gloves stuffed in with the hat.

"When did you get here?" I asked my best friend, curious as to her time of arrival.

"Only a few hours ago. I was visiting Hagrid and Buck- I mean, Witherwings," she replied. "Anyway, did you have a good Christmas?"

"Yeah, it was pretty eventful. The Minister of-" Ron began to say, only to be cut off by Hermione.

"Oh! I've got something for you, Harry and Madison!" Hermione cut him off.

As we all stepped through the portrait hole, Harry untied what she had given us. It was a note from Dumbledore. Our next lesson with him was tomorrow night.

"Lesson with Dumbledore-" I began to say, only to be interrupted by a shrill and horrifying voice.

"Won-Won!" Lavender Brown shrieked, excitement all over her stupid face. She ran up to Ron and kissed him full on the lips. The two suddenly started snogging.

"Excuse me while I go and vomit," I remarked, my nose crinkling.

Lavender broke away from Ron. "It's not my fault you haven't had your first kiss, Madison."

I smirked. "I will have you know, Lavender, I have had my first kiss."

"I could crap an argument with alphabet soup that's better than your argument," she narrowed her eyes at me.

"At least it might be better than the crap coming out of your mouth," I smirked.

"Burnnnn," said some unimportant background character in the midst of all of the Gryffindors.

"Hmpf!" Lavender hmpfed as she went off and stomped off up to the dormitory.

The next morning, there was a large fuss over and around the bulletin board in the common room.

I squeezed my way through the crowd of people (thank god I'm a small person) and managed to read what it said:

APPARITION LESSONS

If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the

31st August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition

Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate.

Cost: 12 Galleons.

Alongside Hermione, the both of us put our names towards the bottom. I handed Ron the quill, but before he could write his name, Lavender wrapped her arms around him.

"Guess who, Won-Won?"

Hermione gave me a disgruntled look, and stalked out of the common room.

I followed her of course, and soon enough I was in step with her.

"Hey, Hermione?" I calmly asked her as we traveled to the library together.

"Yes?" Hermione replied as we sat down at our favorite table in the library.

"Ron's an idiot, you know that, right?" I told her. "He's just... I think that he's using her to make you jealous because you kind of went on a date with McCormac, and had a thing with Viktor."

She sniffed; I realized she was crying. "But he doesn't have to do it all of the time, snog her. You and George haven't even snogged that much, from what I'm aware of."

I nodded. "Hermione, you both have been unfair to each other."

"How so?" Hermione stiffly asked me, not believing me at all.

"Well, yesterday, when we got to school, Ron tried to tell you what happened over break, and what he said was actually really important. Rufus Scrimgeour came to the Burrow."

I proceeded to tell her all of the events that happened.

"I'm trying to imagine you and Harry as poster children for the Ministry. It's not pretty," she stated.

"I won't ever do anything for that cooperation," I stated, wrinkling my nose.

"Anyway, apparition! I can't wait!" Hermione squealed with excitement.

"Yeah, it should be fun. Too bad you have to be seventeen to actually do it legally," I grumbled.

Hermione triumphantly smiled. "I already am seventeen."

I frowned at her. "No need to remind me. It's not my fault that I have a summer birthday."

She grinned, and the two of us laughed.

Later that night, Harry and I were making our way to Dumbledore's office.

The castle had this slight chill to it, so Harry and I thought that it'd be fun to both wear our Weasley sweaters to our lesson with the old wizard.

Together, we reached the man's office. The griffin merely nodded it's head and opened up at the sight of us, almost as if he was used to us both.

We didn't even bother knocking. The room was dimly lit, and there were still all these little knick-knacks around.

"Hello, Harry, Madison," Dumbledore suddenly greeted, his right hand still blacker and shriveled.

"Hello, Professor," I kindly stated. He smiled.

"I heard you've both gotten a visit from the minister over break?" Dumbledore asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes," I began. "He wanted us to be poster children for the ministry. Told him no of course."

"Yeah, and he asked us if we really were Dumbledore's man and woman through and through," Harry told the man.

In harmony, we revealed, "We told him we were."

At that moment, Fawkes the Phoenix let out a cry of what seemed to be pride and joy, and Dumbledore, petting his bird, suddenly had tears in his blue eyes.

"I am touched that you believe that, Harry," Dumbledore stated.

He looked at me and gave me a truthful smile, "I am also very touched that you said that as well, Madison."

I smiled at him, and he smiled back before wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his purple robe.

"Anyway," he said, pulling chairs for us both to sit in. "We have important matters to discuss. Tonight I am showing you both two memories, and they were both very difficult to receive."

I sat down and asked him, "Does it have any relation to the last memory about Riddle?"

"Yes," he said, his blue eyes twinkling with sudden pride. "You seem excited."

"Well these memories are kind of like a really good book, right? Once finish a chapter you can't wait to go on to the next one. And with these memories that you are showing us, I want to know more and more. How he became the evil bitch he is today. And how to stop him."

Dumbledore didn't even patronize me for my swear word.

"I believe you are right, Madison. Last time we met and had a memory of me meeting Riddle. Well, the start of school happened and the Sorting Hat barely touched his head when he shouted out Slytherin. He had become head boy, and prefect, and do remember, I was not headmaster then. Now, let's get on with the first memory, shall we?"

Together, Harry, Dumbledore and I entered the Pensieve.

We landed on a cold ground, and I realized where we were.

The Gaunt's house was dirty, and there were two people in it.

One was Morfin, his eyes black and his face scarred. The other was Voldemort- teenage Voldemort.

"You speak it?" Morfin asked the scumbag.

"Yes, I speak it," Riddle stated. I, along with Harry, felt a sort of resentful admiration for Riddle's complete lack of fear. Our faces had a expression of disgust on it.

"Where is Marvolo?" Riddle asked.

"Dead," Morfin replied.

"Who're you?"

"I'm Morfin.

"You're Marvolo's son?"

"Of course."

Morfin pushed his hair out of his dirty face. I let out a gasp.

He was wearing the ring that Dumbledore was!

"I thought you was that Muggle. You look a lot like him."

"What Muggle?" Riddle snapped.

"That muggle that my sister took a fancy too... Muggle that lives in that big house over there. You look a lot like him. But he's older than you..."

Morfin looked a bit glassy behind the eyes. He swayed and stupidly stated, "He's come back."

Riddle gave his uncle a look of pride. He came closer to the man and said, "Riddle came back?"

"And he left her! Serve her right, marrying filth! Robbed us before she ran off... Where's the locket, where is Slytherin's locket!?"

Riddle did nothing as Morfin pulled out a knife and hissed, "Dishonored us, that little slut! And who're you, coming and asking questions..."

Morfin looked away and moved. As he did so, Voldemort moved forwards. An unnatural darkness fell, causing everything to go dark.

Even though it was a memory, it was in the past, it was cold...

Suddenly, we were all out of the memory and sitting in desks.

"Is that all?" Harry asked.

"Morfin could not remember what happened after that, but when he awoke, he was alone and his ring was gone," Dumbledore nodded. "But, across in Little Hangleton, a maid discovered three bodies- three dead bodies in a big house. Tom Riddle, his mother and his father."

I gasped. "I had a dream about that once..."

Dumbledore gave me a look that said "don't-interupt-me-I-am-Albus-fucking-Dumbledore-and-last-time-I-checked-you-are-not-so-don't-interupt-me."

"Continue," I motioned for Dumbledore to continue what he was saying that was oh-so-important.

"Anyway, the ministry called Morfin. They had no need to question him. He admitted to the murder on the spot, and was proud to have killed them. He went to Azkaban...."

There was an awkward silence.

"Let's move on to the next memory, shall we?" Dumbledore asked, an odd hint of cheer in his voice.

I fell through the pensive, and there was suddenly a very younger Slughorn in front of me.

I realized we were all standing in his office. About six boys were sitting around Slughorn, almost as if he was there idol. I recognized Voldemort among them.

"Harry," I whispered, pointing at the young killer. "Look. He's wearing the ring... He's already killed his father..."

"Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?" Voldemort asked.

"Oh Tom, if I knew I couldn't tell you," Slughorn smiled. "Where do you get your information? You seem to be smarter than half the staff!"

The other boys laughed and gave him looks of admiration.

"Good god! Is it that time already? Lestrange, you need to give me that essay by tomorrow or you will have detention. Same for you, Avery," Slughorn said, dismissing the boys.

Riddle stayed behind. He obviously wanted to be the last one in the room with the man.

"You don't want to be caught out of bed- you are a prefect after all," he patronized.

"Sir, I wanted to ask you something," Riddle trailed off.

"What is it?"

"Sir, I was wondering what you know about Horcruxes?"

Dense fog filled the air; I couldn't see Slughorn nor Voldemort through my emerald green eyes.

Slughorn's voice boomed out, in an awkward manner: "I don't know anything about Horcruxes and I wouldn't tell you if I did. Now don't let me catch you saying it again!"

Suddenly, Dumbledore, Harry and I were in the office of Dumbledore.

"That was tampered with, wasn't it?" I asked the old man.

"Certainly, Madison," he smiled at me. "Professor Slughorn meddled with his own memory."

"Why would he do that?" Harry cluelessly asked.

I rolled my eyes. "He's obviously ashamed of what he remembers. He tried to rework the memory to make him seem like a better man, destroying the parts that he didn't want me to see. It's very badly done, which is good... It must show that the actual memory is still there," I smartly told him.

"Right you are," Dumbledore smiled at me. "For the first time in forever, I'm giving you homework."

"Was that a Frozen reference?" I asked him, confused.

"Yes it was. Now you both need to get Slughorn to give you the real memory, and it will probably be the most important piece of information."

Harry and I were dismissed.

"I'm so confused," Harry stated as we walked towards the common room.

"Same here," I stated. "Why do I have a feeling that this is going to be a hard task?"

"Because it probably is."

So! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It took me a bit longer than I thought it would to write, mostly because I started writing, got lazy and got addicted to Criminal Minds, and then started writing again because I realized that I should probably update for you guys.

I am currently on episode 19 of season 4 of the show Criminal Minds.

I started watching the show two weeks ago.

This is not a healthy obsession.

I am simply in love with Dr. Spencer Reid though.

Too bad he's a fictional character.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy.